A collection of ghost stories and the fiction debut from the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Good, The Bad And The Furry and 21st Century Yokel.
'Often unnerving, frequently funny and always original, the tangled roots of these haunted stories reach into deep, dark places to unearth an alternative England' Benjamin Myers, author of The Offing
'Everyone should read Help the Witch – funny, odd, moving, haunting . . . Brings so much emotion and humour to horror' Isy Suttie
As night draws through country lanes, and darkness sweeps across hills and darkness sweeps across hills and hedgerows, shadows appear where figures are not; things do not remain in their places; a new home is punctured by abandoned objects; a watering hole conceals depths greater than its swimmers can fathom.
Riddled with talismans and portents, saturated by shadows beneath trees and whispers behind doors, these ten stories broaden the scope of folk tales as we know them. Inspired by our native landscapes and traversing boundaries of the past and future, this collection is Tom Cox's first foray into fiction. Funny, strange and poignant, it elicits the unexpected and unseen to raise our hackles and set imaginations whirring.
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Tom Cox
Tom Cox is the author of nine previous books, including 21st Century Yokel, which funded on Unbound in just seven hours, and the Sunday Times top ten bestseller The Good, The Bad And The Furry. Tom lives in The Peak District and writes about - amongst many other subjects - nature, folklore, music and books on his voluntary subscription website, having quit writing for traditional media outlets entirely in 2015.
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2nd August 2023My New Book!
Hello!
I wondered whether, as someone who was kind enough to pledge for one of my previous books, you might like to know that I've recently completed my latest. It's called 1983, which is also the year in which it's set, and I'm very excited about it. If you'd like to reserve a signed first edition hardback of it ready for its publication in spring, and support the book's funding in the process…
24th February 2023A New Book!
Hello!
As you're someone who's been kind enough to support a previous book I've published with Unbound, I wanted to let you know that I'm writing a new novel: the follow-up to Villager, to be published early next year. It's set in 1983, on the Nottinghamshire-Derbyshire border, where I grew up, and is about mining, aliens and lots of other things. If you'd like to, you can reserve a copy and contribute…
19th December 2022Newsletter
Hi! I just wanted to quickly let you know about my new Substack newsletter, which is just about to launch, and will be going out on an approximately monthly basis from this week onwards. It will be a mixture of new writing, book and music and film recommendations, the occasional interview, and will also incorporate my brand new podcast. It's free, with an optional subscription charge, just like my…
4th May 2022Villager/my new website
Hello lovely supporters,
Just wanted to let you know, in case you already didn't, that my debut novel, Villager, is now out in the world. If you didn't get chance to pledge for a first edition hardback, I do have a few for sale direct, signed, with a bookmark made by my mum, Jo, featuring one of her linoprints from inside. If you'd like one of these, please drop me an email via my website https…
27th October 2021Villager: the artwork!
Dear lovely Help The Witch supporter,
Apologies if you've seen this as an update via the funding page for one of my other previous books but I wanted to give you a little preview of some of the art for my upcoming debut novel, Villager: Joe McLaren (who you might know as the man behind the cover of Help The Witch) has come up with a wonderful cover, and my mum Jo has been hard at work on some linoprints…
13th August 2020My First Novel (finally)
Dear lovely supporter of Help The Witch,
I just wanted to let you know that I'm launching the funding for my first novel today. It's the biggest book so far for me, couldn't be closer to my heart, and I'm very much hoping it will see daylight. It's called Villager, is set in a fictional West Country Village over many many years, and its themes include land lore, psychedelic music, plant life, lost…
14th April 2020Notebook: subscriber list closing and final manuscript delivered!
I delivered the final edited manuscript of my latest book, Notebook, today. If you'd like to order a special first edition with your name in the back as a supporter, the list closes on April 20th: https://unbound.com/books/notebook/
I’m so pleased to be able to show you Clare Melinsky’s cover design for my new book, Notebook, which will be published by Unbound in September.
I know it’s a very difficult time for many people right now, but if you would like to pledge for a special edition hardback of Notebook, with your name printed in the back of the book, the deadline is April 20th…
14th December 2019Help The Witch: the concept LP
Dear Help The Witch supporters,
Some of you might already know about the very exciting HELP THE WITCH concept LP. Ten of my favourite songwriters and duos have each written a song based on a story from the book, and the result will be released on gatefold vinyl, featuring Joe McLaren's original cover art, next summer. I have now heard the finished, mastered record and it is AMAZING. I honestly…
31st October 2019Help The Witch: The Concept LP!
Dear lovely Help The Witch pledgers,
I have some exciting news, which I have been dying to tell everyone about for a while: over the last few months, some of my favourite British musicians have gathered to each record a song inspired by one of the stories from Help The Witch. The overall result, Help The Witch: The Concept album, is now recorded, and currently being mastered, ready to be released…
15th August 2019NOTEBOOK: a new book by me
Hi,
Thanks again for your support on Help The Witch. I wanted to let you know about my next book, NOTEBOOK, which has gone up for funding. I'd be delighted if you could help make it a reality. You can read a little bit more about it here: https://unbound.com/books/notebook/
There are also lots of stationery-related pledge reward goodies available.
Thanks!
Tom
4th April 2019Ring The Hill: the cover!
Hello! Apologies for repetition if you have already received news of this from one of the other pledge pages but I wanted to show Help The Witch supporters the cover for my new book, Ring The Hill, which is an image by the very talented Clare Melinsky. What I asked was "Please can you make it very very psychedelic, and have some hares on it?" and I think Clare has more than fulfilled that brief. The…
3rd January 2019Some background about the artwork in 21st-Century Yokel and Help The Witch
Hello! I thought those who'd helped fund 21st-Century Yokel and Help The Witch (big thank you to all of you again!) might be interested to read this piece I just wrote, which gives some background to the art my mum provided for the books: http://tom-cox.com/writing/the-magic-room/. I'm also giving away a few of her prints to new subscribers to my site via paypal or Gocardless. The subscription links…
3rd December 2018A True Story About Two Trees, And The Book They Made
Hi again! A couple of people who pledged early on Ring The Hill mentioned there was no link to signed copies. Just to let everyone know: they are very much available, and this link should work: https://unbound.com/books/ring-the-hill/. There is also the option to upgrade if you pledged for a non-signed one. Look out for a few new pledge rewards on the page in the coming days. HUGE THANKS to everyone…
21st November 2018NEW BOOK
Hello. Thank you so much again for pledging for Help The Witch. I wanted to let you know that my new book, Ring The Hill, is now up for funding: https://unbound.com/books/ring-the-hill/. If you like nature, or folklore, or social history, or the power of landscape, I think you might enjoy it. All the best! Tom
Paul Mitchell asked:
Hi
I pledged for the ghost story when the campaign first launched, and I'm sure it was originally going to be in Derbyshire not Devon? (I know that's where you were living at the time and you have since moved back to Devon so perhaps that's why) - As I live in Derbyshire it seemed like a lovely idea and would be just down the road, but I'm not sure I'll be able to make the journey to Devon when the time comes! (I know that travel isn't included, which is why Derbyshire was perfect for me) - Am I going mad (mysterious spooky goings on)? Or has this changed?
Best wishes
Paul
Tom Cox replied:
Hi Paul. Apologies for the delay in replying. I just needed to check a couple of things. I have decided to set the walk in Derbyshire now, as that seems best for all concerned. It will be on the morning of October 28th, near Eyam. Full details going out by email very soon.
Hi I pledged for the ghost story when the campaign first launched, and I'm sure it was originally going to be in Derbyshire not Devon? (I know that's where you were living at the time and you have since moved back to Devon so perhaps that's why) - As I live in Derbyshire it seemed like a lovely idea and would be just down the road, but I'm not sure I'll be able to make the journey to Devon when the time comes! (I know that travel isn't included, which is why Derbyshire was perfect for me) - Am I going mad (mysterious spooky goings on)? Or has this changed? Best wishes Paul
Hi Paul. Apologies for the delay in replying. I just needed to check a couple of things. I have decided to set the walk in Derbyshire now, as that seems best for all concerned. It will be on the morning of October 28th, near Eyam. Full details going out by email very soon.